Zwillich's Trio
makes a fantastic, and exhilarating, start to this disk of
contemporary American Piano Trios. It's fast and furious, meaty,
and there's something elementally vital, and vitally elemental,
about this music. The moment it starts it really takes off and the
first movement is an helter-skelter headlong rush in thrilling
short notes which never relents in its forward motion - this is
rousing stuff. A brief, and restrained, coda sets the tone for the
slow movement, which is very serious and intense. The finale is
again fast and furious, but with more serious intent than the
first. Not a note is wasted in this cogently argued work, which is
superbly laid out for the three instruments, and it is full of
rhythmic and melodic interest and receives a superbly exciting and
committed performance.

Kirchner's two Trios are written in his own personal
non-tonal style, which owes something to Schönberg even though this is
not strict 12-note music. The later work is more lyrical and
thoughtful, the music gradually unfolding before our ears.
However, despite the range of colour Kirchner employs I found
myself tired of the second work before reaching the half way mark
for the music is so dour and gray that I found nothing of interest
in it to catch my interest. No matter how great the advocacy of
the performance, and these performers certainly seem to be well in
control of their interpretation, if the raw material of the
composition doesn't grab you then nothing will. Perhaps it was a
mistake to programme the two works together for the idiom is too
restricted and lacks a real point to aim for.

Mason Bates's String
Band contains some good
'ole fiddling which becomes more sophisticated and turns into a
very serious, and unusual, middle section, which, although it
seems to have dropped in from another piece, is actually a very
clever continuation of the opening music. The fiddling returns and
the work ends somewhat enigmatically. This work is a real winner
but it's not easy to grasp first time round, but after a few
hearings you'll start to follow Bates's argument.

Café Music sounds exactly as its title would have you believe. It's real
entertainment music, easy on the ear, fun to listen to, and obviously fun to
play. There's no depth to this work but it does what it promises and you cannot
ask for more than that.

This is a very attractive and interesting
programme - my worries about the placing of the Kirchner works
notwithstanding - with excellent playing, very fine recording,
good notes and something for everyone. I am sure that much of this
music will be new to most, as most of it was to me, but don't let
that put you off. Enjoy it!

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